When I began working on the concepts included in this website, I imagined that the result would be a modern home that maintained a strong connection with nature. Cutting edge materials, such as SCIP panels, would be softened by finishes, natural materials, and plants to create a home that people would want to live in. From a disaster resistance, cost, and simplicity standpoint, it’s hard to beat a concrete box. But who wants to live in a concrete box? A whole layer of additions would be necessary to transform a concrete box into a home.

But I discovered that my goals in Reimagined Homes mostly returned full circle to Mediterranean architecture from thousands of years ago. As a prime example, look at this artist’s rendering of the Palace of Knossos, as it existed 3,500 years ago:

Yes, it’s a palace instead of a home, but look at the details— indoor outdoor spaces, surrounding gardens, flat roofs, large windows to let in light (OK, there aren’t windows because clear glass wasn’t invented for another 2,500 years). Why does this look like a modern performing arts center or hotel, instead of a European castle? Climate is part of the reason. The mild Mediterranean climate meant that indoor/outdoor spaces and courtyards were beneficial almost year-round. The palace isn’t a fortress because the palace is on the island of Crete, Greece so the Minoans didn’t need to worry about invading armies.